Under-whip pick-motion for looms.



PATENTED DEC. 12, 1905.

J. s. AINLEY. UNDER WHIP PICK MOTION FOR LUOMS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNBI), 1905.

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,5 5 L? o I l 46 I Q *Tr UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

UND ER-WHIP PICK-MOTION FOR LOOMS- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1905.

Application filed .Tune 3, 1905. Serial No. 263,535.

"10 all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, JOHN SHAW AINLEY, a subject of King Edward VII of Great Britain, residing at Huddersfield, in the county of York, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Under-Whip Pick-Motions of Looms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an under-whip pick-motion for looms, and particularly to an under-whip pick-motion of substantially the construction shown and described in United States Patent No. 765,694, wherein the picking-sticks are secured on the square pickingshafts and connected at their upper ends by straps to the pickers at the respective sides of the loom, and there are supplementary arms pivoted on a part movable with the lay and also connected at their upper ends by straps to the pickers, which are adapted to move forward toward the loom with the picking-sticks as the latter are actuated, and there is a retracting-spring which serves to draw back the picker and picking-stick to normal position after each pick. In the under-whip pick-motion described in said patent the only connection between the picking-stick and its supplementary arm is that provided by the straps connecting said parts to the picker, and in practice it has been found that the picking-stick in rebounding after picking the shuttle out of the box or by reason of its moving back to normal position in advance of the retracting supplementary arm causes the strap connecting it to the picker to be slackened unduly, so that it is liable to loop itself around the free end of the picking-stick in its return throw, and cause mispicks or breakages, or it may buckle against the loom-frame and be cut or uickly worn. A flexible connection made irectly between the picking-stick and its supplementary arm has been devised to prevent the picking-stick rebounding unduly after picking the shuttle out of the shuttle-box or returning to normal position in advance of the supplementary arm, and this flexible connection has answered successfully in avoiding the looping of the strap over the pickingstick.

The object of my invention is to provide additional means for preventing independent movement of the picking-stick in either of its extreme positions, such means bein adapted to be used in conjunctionvwith t e direct plied thereto, and Fig. 2 shows a modified construction of my improvements.

In the drawings, 1 designates the side frame of the loom, 2 the lay, and 3 the picking-shaft.

The under-whip pick-motion comprises the picking arm or stick 4, fast on the pickingshaft 3, and connected at its upper free end by strap 5 to the picker 6, slidable laterally along the picker-spindle 7 and a supplementary arm 8, pivoted at 8, on a stud secured to the rocker-iron 9, and also connected at its upper free end by a strap 8 to the picker 6, all substantially as shown and described in the United States Patent above referred to. The picking-shaft 3 is rocked by a pickingbowl engaging a shoe thereon (not shown) in the usual way, to oscillate the picking-stick 4, from the position shown in full line to that indicated by the broken center line and through the strap connection 5 draws the picker along the spindle 7 with a whip action, to propel the shuttle out of the box and across the loom, the strap connection 8 drawing the arm 8 toward the loom to the same extent against the tension of a spring 9, which immediately the picking-stick has completed its movement retracts the arm 8, and through strap connection 8 draws back the picker 6 to normal position, the said picker, through strap connection 5, drawing back the picking-stick 4 also to normal position, all in the ordinary way. In my invention I provide means in conjunction with the picking-stick 4 to lock or prevent independent movement of said stick at either extremity of its motion.

Referring to Fig. 1, showing a preferred form of my improvement, I secure on the picking-shaft 3 or to the hub or boss of the picking-stick a lever-arm 10, to the free end of which is pivotally connected one end of a rod or spindle 11, whose opposite end extends freely through an opening in a bracket 12, bolted to the cross girth or rail 13 of the loom-frame. Between the said bracket 12 and a collar 11, and surrounding the spindle 11, is confined a spiral spring 14, which is adapted to be compressed when the spindle 11 is forced endwise in the direction of the bracket 12. To a second arm 15, fast on the picking-shaft 3 or integral with the leverarm 10, is secured one end of a flexible conneotion 16, whose opposite end is secured to the lower extremity of the supplementary arm 8, such flexible connection, as before mentioned, controlling the picking-stick and insuring the same moving in unison with the arm 8 as the latter is returned to normal position. The retracting-spring 9 in this instance is conveniently attached at one end to the strap 16 instead of to the arm 8 and at its other end is secured to a fixed stud (not shown) in the ordinary way.

The-operation of my invention is as follows: Each time the picking-stick 4 is oscillated, from the position shown in full line in Fig. 1 to that indicated by the broken center line, for onehalf of its motion the spindle 11 is forced endwise through the opening in the bracket 12, against the tension of the spring 14, which is thus compressed; but immediately the point of. connection ofthe spindle with the lever-arm 10 passes dead-center the spring commences to expand and assists the throw of the picking-stick in the last half of its movement, and on completion of said movement holds the picking-stick and prevents it rebounding or moving backward independently of the supplementary pull-back arm 8.

With my improvements it will be manifest that at the end of its throw the picking-stick is firmly held, and cannot rebound to an extent to slacken the strap 5 suificiently to admit of its loopin itself over the end of picking-stick, or of buckling against the loomframe.

In Fig. 2 is shown a modified construction of my improvements, in which the spring exerts a pull action instead of the push action described with reference to Fig. 1. On one end of the picking-shaft 3 is secured a short lever-arm 17, to the free end of'which is attached one end of a spring 18, the opposite end of said spring being secured to a bracket 19, bolted to the bottom rail of the loom. As the pickingstick 4 is rocked from its normal position (shown in full line) to the position indicated by the broken center line the spring 18 is extended until the arm 17 passes the dead-center, when the tension thereof assists the final movement of the picking-stick and prevents the latter rebounding.

It will be understood that the details of construction of my improvements may be varied, if desired, and may be applied independently of the flexible connection 16.

' Having thus described my invention,what Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An under-whip pick-motion of a loom, comprising a picking-shaft, a picking-stick fast thereon, a picker, a strap connecting the pic'kin stick and the picker, a pivoted arm movabde with the lay, a strap connecting said arm to the picker, and means for 'controlling the picking-stick, said means consisting of a lever-arm fast on the pickingshaft, and a spring which is put in compression or. in tension in one-half of the movement of said lever-arm, and after the latter passes the dead-center acts to assist the final movement and prevent rebound of the pickingstick.

2. In an under-whip pick-motion of a loom, the combination with a picking-shaft, a picking-stick fast thereon, a picker, a strap connecting the picking-stick and the picker, a supplementary pivoted draw-back arm,

and a strap connecting said arm to the picker,

of a lever-arm fast on the picking-shaft, a spindle or rod pivotally connected to said lever arm, a bracket having an opening therein, in which the free end of the spindle is supported, and a spring surrounding said spindle, and confined between the bracket and a collar fast on the spindle.

3. In an under-whip pick-motion of a loom, the combination with a picking-shaft, a picking-stick fast thereon, a picker, a strap connecting the picking-stick and the picker, a supplementary pivoted draw-back arm, a strap connecting said arm to the picker, and a flexible connection between the pickingstick and the supplementary arm, of means for controlling the picking-stick to prevent rebound thereof, said means comprising a lever-arm fast on the picking-shaft, and a spring acted upon by said lever-arm to compress or extend it in one part of its movement, and to be acted upon by the expansion or contraction of said spring, after said leverarm passes the dead-center, for the purpose state In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN SHAW AINLEY.

Witnesses:

THOMAS H. BARRON, FRANK L. EWIN. 

